If you’ve ever sent or received a package from abroad, you might have noticed “ISC New York NY” in your tracking information and wondered what it meant.
If so, keep reading this article to learn everything you need to know about USPS’ International Service Center in New York, including what it’s for and why your package may be stuck there!
What Does ISC New York NY USPS Mean?
ISC New York, NY is a shortened way of referring to the New York International Service Center. It is a large warehouse located at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Jamaica, New York. This facility is responsible for sorting and processing inbound and outbound international mail. Additionally, New York’s ISC is the largest in the United States by mail volume in 2024.
You likely have other questions about the New York International Service Center, so make sure to finish this article for more useful facts and tips!
What Are USPS ISCs?
Before getting into more about the New York, NY ISC, let’s step back and learn more about USPS’ International Service Centers (ISCs).
International Service Centers are essentially large mail processing facilities located at airports, and are responsible for distributing and dispatching both incoming and outgoing international mail.
While ISCs work in conjunction with customs inspection, each serves a different function. Customs Inspection is overseen by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), while ISCs belong to USPS.
The main goal of Customs Inspection is to prevent export and import of contraband or counterfeited items, and CBP does so by opening packages and checking the contents for such items.
ISCs, on the other hand, do not open or search packages. Rather, they sort mail into containers so it can continue its journey to its final destination.
USPS currently has 5 ISCs in the United States, and is located in New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Currently, New York is the largest of these facilities by mail volume.
Is ISC Before or After Customs?
If your package is arriving in the United States, it will pass through customs inspection first before heading to the International Service Center.
Processing happens in this order because Customs and Border Patrol need to verify the contents of packages (i.e. check that they don’t contain any counterfeit or illegal items) before allowing them to be distributed throughout the U.S. by the ISC.
How Long Does It Take ISC to Clear a Package in New York?
Packages going through the New York ISC can take between 1 to 14 days to exit the facility en route to their next destination. In most cases, packages clear this step in 7 to 10 days, but some people have reported wait times of up to a month.
How long a package stays in one of these facilities is largely dependent on the work of Customs and Border Protection agents.
More specifically, it’s dependent on the company’s workload and the time of year. What’s more, a package may take longer to get processed depending on its country of origin and the type of packaging.
For example, packages originating from France or Germany are unlikely to be searched and will pass through customs quickly.
On the other hand, packages coming from India, Singapore or Russia are almost always searched and could spend several additional days in customs as a result.
What Does ‘Processed Through Facility ISC New York NY’ Mean at USPS?
Seeing “Processed Through Facility ISC New York NY” on your USPS tracking information doesn’t tell you much about the location of your package or when you can expect to receive it.
In fact, the only thing this update tells you is that your package has been cleared by customs and is now in the hands of USPS for further distribution.
Why Is My Package Stuck at ISC New York?
Unfortunately packages getting held up at ISC for days or weeks is not entirely uncommon. While it’s not uncommon, it’s always frustrating, especially if you don’t know why.
However, there are many potential reasons why your package hasn’t moved in a while.
It could be because USPS has a huge backlog of packages (especially likely during the holiday season), because of a glitch in the USPS system or it could be something as simple as bad weather.
What Should I Do If My Package Is Stuck at ISC New York?
One of the first things you need to realize about packages going through New York ISC is that you won’t always know if they’re stuck or just passing through the system more slowly than expected.
For this reason, the first thing you should do if you think your package is “stuck” is to wait a bit longer (perhaps up to a week) before getting too worried about the state of your package.
If you’ve waited a week or longer, then certainly feel free to call the USPS customer service line at 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).
How Do I Contact ISC New York USPS?
If you’re having trouble tracking down your international package or just want more information, call the International Inquiry Center at 800-222-1811.
Calling this number allows you to initiate an inquiry regarding ordinary international packages, as well as those that are registered, have recorded delivery or are insured.
To know more, you can also see our posts on USPS regional facility, USPS carrier facility, and USPS origin facility.
Conclusion
If you see ISC New York NY on your USPS tracking information, then you can be confident that your package is going through the proper channels on its way to you. Sometimes it may take longer than you’d like, but with some patience, your item should arrive safely.
